Knit fabric and method of making the same



Aug.5,193o. F. w. SMITH 1,772,230

KNIT FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed March 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ab www Aug. 5, 1930.

F. w. SMITH 1,772,230 KNIT FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAT/{E}- Filed March 24, 192s 2 sheets-'sheet 2 Patented ug. 5, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT y OFFICE FRED WEBSTER SMITH, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB T SCOTT & -WIL- LIAMS, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS KNIT FABRIC AND METHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME Application led March 24, 1928.

This invention relates to a knit fabric and articles of hosiery of knit fabric, and to a method or art of making the said fabric and articles.

One object of this invention is to provide a stocking or other knit garment or section of a garment with areas or portions, which may be substantially coextensive with the exposed portion of the garment in use, having a new texture, hereinafter mentioned as diagonal network, of which one preferred feamade by transfer or lateral loop-shifting op- 4 erations on a series of knitting needles.

The fabric structure hereinafter explained comprises in a preferred form one-face or plain-fabric knitting only throughout its construction, and is further distinguished by capacity to stretch in either dimension of the fabric with concomitant contraction in the other direction of the fabric. For-this reason, knitted diagonal network of the kind hereinafter described is peculiarly adapted to contribute to the smooth fit and handsome appearance necessary in stockings, especially in womens stockings of the current mode. Further objects of the invention comprise a mode of manufacture of the diagonal network fabric, fully adapted to provide for making sections and parts of a stocking or other article of hosiery of usual fabrics and diagonal network conjoined at predetermined boundaries, either in the direction of the length or in the direction of the width of the article, this mode of manufacture being further adapted to practice at high speeds on familiar types of knitting machines, and particularly well adapted to practice on cirserial No. 264,531.

cular hosiery knitting machines of ordinary and usual construction, by changes in the mode of operation of the needles easily realized by simple mechanism of any of several dierent kinds.

The invention will now be described in connection with one species of the fabric, typical of other species, and with the aid of diagrams indicating types of machine devices, illustrating one mode of carrying into effect operations for producing the network fabric, and a stocking containing this fabric.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a stocking illustrating one application of the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram elevation of a development of a cam cylinder and series of needles and appurtenant instruments of a circular knitting machine, in aid of explanation of one method of knitting;

Fig. 3 is a detail 'diagram perspective of certain needles and yarn feed guides recommended for one instance of practice of the method of this invention;

Fig. 4 is a corresponding plan 1n diagram; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation greatly enlarged of a portion of a characteristic network fabric produced by the method of the invention. Referrin to Fig. 1, let it be supposed that it is desira le to produce a stocking 1 having any desired type of welt or other top finish at W, any ydesired type of foot 2, for example having a narrowed and widened heel pocket 3 and toe pocket 4, a reinforced sole 5 and section 6 above the heel. Such a stocking may have a thin line of plain knit fabric at 8 at the back of the leg; the boundary between this fabric and the network fabric 10 of which the entire remainder of the garment is preferably made, may if desired be serrated or scalloped as shown at 11.

Referring to the typical stocking shown in Fig. 1 by way of illustration of the characteristics of the network fabric at 10, this, it will be evident, may constitute any desired part or section of a stocking or other garment or article. Referring now to Fig. 5, a preferred type of the network fabric shown at 10 in Fig. 1 comprises a series of needle Wales of knit loops extending longitudinally of the fabric, and substantially central on vertical lines at a-a and b-b. These needle wales are not of a constant width. Recurrently in the length of each of them a relatively inextensible knit formation illustrated generally at c in wales a is repeatedly formed at regular intervals of a number of courses, while in the interveninvr Wales b similar structures c recur (at preferably the same intervals of courses, about halfway in the direction of the needle wales) between the occurrences of the structures c in the needle wales a. For convenience of description, while the structures 0 may be the same wherever they occur, those occurring in the wales b will be hereinafter referred to by o.

The needle wales are not the prominent structures of constant width usually resulting from plain knitting in ordinarily knit web. On the contrary, as best shown in Fig. since the loops are regularly of varying sizes in respect to their neighbors in the direction of the wales, the component yarns of the knit loops are gathered together, so far as opaque or raised lines of the texture of the web are concerned, at prominent and narrow sinker wales eonjoining the respective needle wales; and which, because of the narrowness longitudinally and laterally of the structures c, lie in diagonal directions. These sinker wales are respectively indicated at r, r1, r2, r3. These sinker wales extend from structure c to c to c, etc., and whenever the fabric is subjected to any lateral extension, the marked ridges or lines constituted of the sinker wales appear as opaque diagonal raised ridges or wales extending at a slope of from 45 to 60 to the longitudinal or transverse directions of the fabric, and apparently crossing at right or acute angles at c, c.

The lozenge or diamond-shaped meshes of the network comprised between the diagonal sinker wales 1', r1, r2, r3, etc., are not wholly open. They are persistently crossed by runs of at least one yarn in each course of the fabric, and as to one-half of each diamond mesh at least, thesenmeshes may also stand in front of floats loosely extending in the general direction of the courses of another component of the fabric. For example, each mesh o, c', c, 0', normally lozenged-shaped, having its longer axis longitudinal of the fabric, may comprise as many rims 15 of one of the component yarns 3/ as there are courses knit of the yarn y, these runs 15 being regularly distributed in the lateral planes of the respective courses, and being comprised of the heads of the needle loops. Each mesh may also have lying behind it as man floats 16 of the component yarn m of the fabric as there are courses having loops formed of this yarn. In the upper half of each mesh the floats 16 may be sinker wales of the yarn :c intervening between wales a and a or b and b of knit loops in the laterally flanking meshes: at the ooi'- tom half of each mesh there may be face runs of the yarn as shown at 17 comprised of the heads of knit loops in certain courses oniv of the wales a and b respectively.

In the meshes q flanking the structure c or c the spacing apart of the runs .5 comprised of the heads of the loops of one or the needle wales may be relatively large: eifec tively, for example, larger than shown in Fig. 5, and constitute actual penetrating eyelet holes of the fabric represented by in enlarged knit loop of the yarn y.

These structures will best be understood with reference to a preferred mode or making the section 1() of the illustrated fabric. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the preferred instrument of manufacture is any kind of knitting machine adapted to feed to a knitting 4vave in a series of knitting needles from `ioints separated in relation to the wave. the yarn y and the yarn r. ln the specific .nsiance shown in diagram in Fig. 2, the macnine is an independent needle circular knitting inachine. for example. one of the kind shown in the patent to Robert YV. Scott No. 1.512.550, dated September 'i'. 1915. l/Vhatever type or machine may be employed, the relation to the knitting wave at /c-c and needles a of the points of feed of the yarn y and the yarn .is

is such as to lay the yarn x into the open hooks of needles taking it at a point further removed from the knitting wave than the feed point for the yarn y. This is a common relationship between fed yarns and needle hooks moving in a knitting wave` serving' to secure a plated fabric in whichthe varn r/ is the body yarn and the yarn the face warn.

So long as all of the needles move :n cooperative relation to the points of feed of the yarn y and the yarn x, which ire. for example, fed from separated members F1 and F5, respectively, of a series of movable yarn fingers, plain fabric in which the tarn .r is plated in each loop over the loops oi the yarn y will be produced. This will icc-ur when all of the needles 'n take the path shown at 20 in Figs. 2 and 3.

If now some of the needles are caused to take a different path.` for example. that shown at 2l in Fig. 2, the hooks of these needles pass too low at yarn guide F5 to take the yarn r. and thereafter, referring now to F ig. l5. the tips of these needles pass outside of the yarn m prior to taking the yarn i for example.` as shown at n2 and n* in Fig. 3. lf now recurrent, for example alternate, needles n, only are caused to take the path 21, the odd numbered needles will knit both the yarn r and the yarn y (in plated relation), whereas the even numbered needles will not take and will not knit the yarn m, but will assist in holding a loose float of the yarn at the rear face of the fabric.

It will be found, however, according to the present invention, that certain unexpected relationships of loops from yarns knit in plated relation systematically alternated with a single yarn, knit in a iianking Wale of the same course result when any mode of knitting is resorted which will be competent to produce a relatively unyielding structure at the initiation of a Wale of loops in one only of the com-A ponent yarns; for example, when the alternated relationship between a Wale knit by a needle taking both yarns and a Wale knit by a needle taking one only is reversed after a certain plurality of courses, so that the needle which took both yarns then takes one only, and the needle which took the single yarn thereafter takes both. So manipulating the needles in relation to .the yarns as set out in diagram in Fig. 2 results in the fabric shown in Fig. 5. The same result would follow if the yarns were manipulated in relation to needles of a series alternately taking one yarn and two yarns, so that at denite course intervals double yarn loops succeed single yarn loops, and vice versa.

Any mode of controlling the-operation of the needles may of course be resorted to with the same effect, but to cause alternate needles to take one or a plurality of yarns, and to exchange these functions mutually as shown in Fig. 2, any device for so controlling the operations ofthe needles adapted to the machine of the said Scott patent, is resorted to; for example, that fully :described in the application of Ivan W. Grothey, Serial No. 156,458, led December 22, 1926, Patent No.

1,678,385 in which any of the needles n may:

be caused each to take the path 20 or the path 21 by the operation of independent needle jacks 7 32, in turn operated or not operated by mutable selector jacks 7 36 having operating butts 7 33 radially movable into or out of contact with a jack'cam 743 by a selector cam 750, adapted to be moved up anddown step by step at intervals of a plurallty of courses to contact with or not to contact With selector butts 7 39 on the said jacks 736, which may be rocked outwardly at each course to encounter the cam 743 by a positioning cam 7 47. To obtain a motion resulting in the fabric of Fig. 5, for example, the jacks 736 employed in the production of the fabric 10 alternately are provided with selector butts 7 39 positioned on a jack 736 at a distance from butt 733 removed by one step of the vertical motion of the cam 750 from each other. But where plain fabric is to be made in lateral continuation of the fabric 10, jacks 736 for needles at the margin of fabric 10 may be provided with butts 739 in increasing or de-y creasing series, to cooperate With numerous steps in the same direction of cam 750, so

that the alternate motions of the' needles at the margin of the area 10 as controlled by the jacks 7 39 will occupy a diminishing and then an increasing series,v (resulting in the scallops 11) accordingly as the cam 750 is progressively lowered or progressively raised, respectively. Selector jacks 736 having no butts 7 39, or left out of the cylinder grooves, result in continuous plain knit Wales from the corresponding needles, as at 8.

For heel, sole and toe knitting of plain fabric, which may or may not be plated, depending upon the yarns fed from one or more of the yarn fingers in operation, and for knitting the plain fabric section 6 above the heel (which may be reinforced or spliced) about half of the jacks 7 36 corresponding to the needlesfor the back half of the stocking are caused not to affect the motions of the corresponding needles. This may be done by refraining from rocking that many of these jacks outwardly at cam 747 or the acks 7 36 may be operated, and the back segment needles all may be lifted to the path 20; or the needle jacks A 732 may be made inoperative and the needles of this segment caused to pass the yarn fingers in the normal path 20. For knittin heels and toes the instep half or segment o, needles n may be made idle in a high position, as usual, the leading stitch cam normally positioned, and heels and toes knit as usual by reciprocal motions of the active series of needles. Sole 5 and the top of the foot may be knit in the same Way as section 6 and the front of the ankle.

It will now be understood that the cam 7 5() having been moved one step at intervals of a -certain small number of courses, for example four courses, the odd numbered needles which have been moving in the path 21 will then move in the path 20, and the even numbered needles, which have been moving in the path 20, will then move in the path 2l. So far as the method of knitting the fabric shown in Fig. 5 is concerned, any other mode whatever of reversing the yarn taking function of the respective odd and even series of needles so that those which were knitting with both yarns knit with a single yarn. and those which were knitting with a single Yarn kuit with both, mayy be resorted to with tht` same effect; reference to the type of machim` indicated in Fig. 2 is explanator \Y only7 of the steps in the method involved.

lVhenever such a reversal of function hctween the odd numbered seriesof needle:` knitting the wales n. and the even numbered series of needles knitting thc wales occurs. the result is that indicated in Fig. 5 at the structure c. This may be briefly described as causing the extinguishment of a knit Wale of both the yarns m andjz/ in plating relation, and on the next course causing the initiation of a. knit Wale from one of these yarns (shown as the yarn'y) only, as shown, by shifting the taken by the needle for the Wale and knit into the loops marked 17a on Fig. 5. This loop 17a and the three following needle loops of the Wale a or o are double yarn, preferably plated loops containing the yarn .1/ as well as the yarn At a later time another shift of extent of motion of the respective series of needles causes the similar structures c in the wales b, and causes the initial plated loops 17 to be formed in the wales a, concomitantly with the initiation of a series of single loops of the yarn y/ in wales b.

An examination of Fig. 5 will serve to show that the stresses of the terminal double varn loops at c, c are such as to make it difficult or impossible to open out laterally the knit structure at c, c; whereas every other knit structure shown in Fig. 5 is of a nature to permit free reeving between the heads and legs of loops or iioats and the remaining interloopments. A result of this is that on lateral stretching the sinker Wale structures mass into a tight diagonal wale everywhere containing two loop legs of one of the yarns and one run of the other yarn; whereas the runs l5 extend horizontally across the diagonal meshes in a rather tant condition, the runs 16, 17 of the yarn remain rather loose.

It has been observed above that the successive knit loops extending from one course containing a structure c to the next course containing a structure c' progressively increase in size in relation to the yarn y, and decrease in size in relation to the knit loops of both yarns and y. This is a consequence which will be readily understood upon inspection of Figs. 3 and 4. Knit stitches containing the yarn are necessarily formed by draft beneath the knocking-over plane at4 line p, Fig. 3, whereas the back floats at 16 of the yarn m are drawn behind alternate needles, and therefore frictionally locked from reeving to rob any previously formed loop in favor of a loop being knit on a following needle. This inhibition to rob a previous loop causes the yarn m to be paid off through the finger F5 to supply yarn to the extent of the full draft required by the receding needle, and makes looser loops 17a and following, than any needle will normally make of the relatively free yarn y.

A similar action occurs in respect to the yarn y/ when it knits alone following the structure c, since the previous stitch of a course, being locked in a plated loop, is relatively tight in that loop, so that a needle of the series in path 21 following a needle carrying a plated loop at the line c-c can not rob the stitch at the line llc-7c, and takes its yarn by reeving from the supply through the yarn guide F1, and makes a loose loop.

These actions, so far as the length of yarn g/ taken in is concerned, are progressive to a maximum for the rst few courses knit under the same circumstance, and result, when the pattern is of the character explained in connection with Fig. 5, in providing enough yarn for the lateral expansion of the central courses of the network meshes.

In practice, the yarn may differ in color, weight, elasticity and other factors from the yarn y, resulting in many pleasing variations of the appearance of the fabric. The persistent run 15 crosswise of the diamond meshes, especially when it is silk or artificial silk. has a characteristic appearance, reflecting light incident from one direction much more strongly than light incident from right angles to that direction. A satin effect new to knit fabric results from these optical peculiarities of the fabric.

I claim:

1. Knit fabric having longitudinal needle Wales of knit loops and sinker wales between respective pairs of said wales, parts of said sinker wales together constituting diagonal ridges crossing a plurality of said needle Wales.

2. Knit fabric having longitudinal needle wales of knit loops and sinker wales having portions inclined in the length of the fabric between respective pairs of said wales, said portions constituting diagonal ridges cross ing a plurality of said needle wales' and each other.

3. Knit fabric having longitudinal needle wales of knit loops and sinker Wales between respective pairs of said wales, parts of said sinker wales'together constituting diagonal ridges crossing a plurality of said needle wales and each other, the interstices between the said diagonal ridges being crossed by a run in each course of a component yarn of the fabric.

4. Plated knit fabric of a plurality of component yarns having longitudinal needle wales of knit loops and sinker wales between respective pairs of said wales containing said plurality of yarns, parts of said sinker wales together constituting diagonal ridges crossing a plurality of said needle Wales.

5. Knit fabric made of a plurality of component yarns having longitudinal needle wales of knit loops and sinker wales having portions respectively oppositely inclined to the length of the fabric between respective pairs of said Wales containing said plurality of yarns,'parts of said portions together constituting diagonal ridges crossing a plurality of said needle wales, the interstices between the said diagonal ridges being crossed by a run in each course of the body yarn only of a pair of yarns of the fabric.

6. Diagonal network knit fabric made of a plurality of yarns comprising knit wales and courses, the needle Wales each comprising pluralities of loops of the kind having each of a plurality of component yarns knit in succession to a plurality of knit loops of the kind knit of one of said yarns only, adjacent needle wales having in the same courses containing 1(pdof said kinds of loops loops of the other 7 Diagonal network knit fabric made of a plurality of yarns comprising knit wales and courses, the needle wales each comprising pluralities of loops of the kind having one component yarn plated over another component yarn in succession to a plurality of knit loops of the kind having therein one of said yarns only, adjacent needle wales having in the same courses containing one of said kinds of loops loops of the other kind, the said wales having one of the component yarns iioated behind the single yarn loops.

8. Diagonal network knit fabric made of a plurality of yarns comprising knit wales and courses, the needle wales each comprising pluralities of loops of one component yarn plated over another component yarn in succession to a plurality of knit loops of one of said yarns only, adjacent wales having in the courses containing one of said kinds of loops loops of the other kind, the said needle loops of a single component yarn progressively increasing in size in the direction of knitting.

9. Diagonal network knit fabric made of a plurality of yarns comprising knit wales and courses, the needle wales each comprising pluralities of loops of one component yarn plated over another component yarn in succession to a plurality of knit loops of one of said yarns only, adjacent wales having in the courses containing one of said kinds of loops loops of the other kind, the said needle loops of a single component yarn progressively increasing in size and the needle loops of a plurality of component yarns progressively diminishing in size in the direction of knitting.

10. Diagonal network knit fabric having in adjacent needle wales knit structures comprising a needle loop preferentially resisting lateral expansion by stretching as compared with other needle loops of the. fabric, the said expansion-resisting structures being staggered in adjacent wales.

11. Diagonal network knit fabric having in adjacent needle wales knit structures comprising a needle loop preferentially resisting lateral expansion by stretching as compared with other needle loops of the fabric, the said expansion-resisting structures being staggered in adjacent wales, the needle-loops of each wale between said expansion-resisting structures comprising progressively eXtensible knit loops.

12. Diagonal network knit fabric having in adjacent needle wales knit structures comprising a needle loop preferentially resisting lateral expansion by stretching as compared with other needle loops of the fabric, the said expansion-resisting structures being staggered in adjacent wales, the needle-loops of each wale between said expansion-resisting structures comprising progressively eXtensible knit loops and progressively inextensible knit loops.

13. Diagonal network fabric comprised of wales of knit loops, successive pluralities of the loops of each wale comprising a terminal loop of one yarn plated over another yarn, and an initial loop of a single yarn.

14. Diagonal network fabric comprised of wales of knit loops, successive pluralities of loops of each wale comprising a terminal loop of one yarn plated over another yarn, and an initial loop of a single yarn, said terminal and initial loops in adjacent wales occurring in courses separated by intervals of courses containing no initial or terminal loops in said wales.

15. Diagonal network knit fabric having needle wales in which are needle loops in groups successively, first of a body yarn and a plating yarn, and second of a body yarn only, the plating yarn floating behind the body yarn loops, the initial loop of the body yarn group penetrating a final loop of body and plating yarn group, the single body yarn loops increasing in length from the initial loop through several courses to a maximum size in a course also containing in an adjacent wale the terminal loop of a group of body and plating yarn loops in that wale.

16. Article of hosiery having therein an area of diagonal network knitting, comprising crossed ridges made up of inclined sinker Wale structures, and conjoined plain fabric.

17. Article of hosiery having therein an area of diagonal network knitting, comprising crossed ridges made up of inclined sinker Wale structures, and a plain fabric laterally conjoined to said network.

18. Article of hosiery having therein an area of diagonal network knitting, comprising crossed ridges made up of sinker wale structures, and plain fabric conj unct with and following said network in the direction of knitting.

19. Article of hosiery having therein an area of diagonal network knitting comprising crossed ridges constituted of inclined sinker wale structures, and plain fabric integrally conjoined with said network at a lateral longitudinal and at a crosswise boundary between said kinds of fabric.

20. Method of knitting a network fabric comprising forming on a series of instruments successively a plurality of courses of loops, the loops drawn at each instrument comprising wales of loops, loops of recurrent wales being successively drawn each from aplurality of yarns, and loops of intervening wales being drawn from one of said yarns only, and thereafter causing a loop and following loops each of one of said yarns only to be drawn at the instrument at which loops of a plurality of yarns have theretoforev been drawn, and causing loops and following loops each of a pluralty Of yarns t0 be drawn at the instruments at which loops of a single yarn only have theretofore been drawn.

21. Method of knitting a network fabric comprising forming on a series of instruments successively a plurality of courses of loops, the loops drawn at each instrument comprising Wales of loops, loops of recurrent wales being successively drawn each from a plurality of yarns, and loops of intervening wales being drawn from one of said yarns only, causing the yarn not drawn at an instrument to be held in a slack state to float behind the said single yarn loops, and thereafter causing a loop and following loops each of one of said yarns only to be drawn at the instrument at which loops of a plurality of yarns have theretofore been drawn, and causing loops and following loops each of a plurality of yarns to be drawn at the instruments at which loops of a single yarn only have theretofore been drawn.

22. Method of knitting a network fabric comprising forming on a series of instruments successively a plurality of courses of loops, the loops drawn at each instrument comprising wales of loops, loops of recurrent wales being successively drawn each from a plurality of yarns, and loops of intervening wales being drawn from one of said yarns only, and thereafter causing a loop and following loops each of one of said yarns only to be drawn successively to a greater length at the instrument at which loops of a plurality of yarns have theretofore been drawn, and causing loops and following loops each of a plurality of yarns to be drawn successively to a lesser length at the instruments at which loops of a single yarn only have theretofore been drawn.

23. Method of knitting network comprising forming a plain knit fabric web from a body yarn by making wales of loops from said yarn at each of a plurality of knitting instruments, supplying a plating yarn to accompany the body yarn in the loops of recurrent Wales and floating the plating yarn behind the body yarn -loops of an intervening Wale, repeating these operations for a plurality of courses, and thereafter supplying the plating yarn to accompany the body yarn in loops at the instruments for said intervening wales and floating the plating yarn behind the loops of said recurrent wales for a plurality of courses.

24. Method of knitting network comprising forming a plain knit fabric web from a body yarn by making wales of loops from said yarn at each of a plurality of knitting instruments, supplying a plating yarn to accompany the body yarn in the loops of recurrent wales and floating the plating yarn behind the body yarn loops of an intervening Wale, repeating these operations for a plurality of courses, and in the next course thereafter supplying the plating yarn to accompany the body yarn in loops at the instruments for said intervening wales and iioating the plating yarn behind the loops of said recurrent wales for a like plurality of courses.

25. Method of knitting diagonal network fabric on a knitting machine having` independently movable needles and means for feeding a plurality of yarns comprising` as steps forming a progressive wave or knitting motions in said needles in relation to said yarns, moving recurrent needles into said wave in a path in which said recurrent needles pass under and in front of one of Said yarns, and take another yarn. the rcmaining needles taking both yarns operatively, continuing these operations during making of al plurality of courses of fabric, and thereafter moving the recurrent needles in the path previously taken by the intervening needles, and moving the intervening` needles in the path previously taken by the said recurrent needles during making of a similar plurality of courses.

26. Method of knitting diagonal network fabric on a knitting machine having independently movable needles and means for feeding a plurality of yarns comprising' as steps forming a progressive wave of knitting motions in said needles in relation to said yarns, moving recurrent needles into said wave in a path in which said recurrent needles pass under and in front ot' one of said yarns, and take another yarn. 'fue rmaining needles taking both yarns operatively, continuing these operations din-ing making of a plurality of courses of fabric, and therafter moving the recurrent needles in the path previously taken by the intervening needles, and moving the intervening needles in the path previously taken by the said recurrent needles during making` ot" a similar plurality of courses, and duringr the motion of said needles in each of said paths causing the needles taking one of `said yarns only progressively to draw longer stitches a each course.

Signed by me at New' York, New York, this 22 day of March, 1928.

FRED l/VEBSTER SMITH. 

